PART 46

Surinder Mnohar Jha stared at ASR's back,nostalgia washing over him as he was once again reminded of the day when  he rose from dirt to echelons.

The boy had no  chance of knowing !He thought with smug complacency.

Suinder Mnohar Jha had no idea that his rendezvous with ACP Arnav singh Raizada will proved to be his nemesis!

''I think we should get going!I've got some meetings to wrap up.''

''Of course!''Shashi said.He couldn't have been more happy at the riddance.

''Shyam......Son.lets's go!''Surinder repeated,looking at stiff posture and clenched fists of Shyam.

''Yeah dad!I'll see you soon khushiji!''Shyam vowed,before darting ouut the room on his father's heel.

Khushi caught a brief glimpse  of malicious expressions on Shyam's face and she blanched.

Though,she was a gallant S.T.F. officer,absolutely fearless,yet there was something about that man that made her wary.Suddenly she felt a warm hand smoothing her fingers that were crushing the bed sheets and she looked up to see ASR,his eyes brimming with warm assurance.Khushi realized that he knew and saw it too and she felt protected and relaxed.

Khushi's calmed disposition didn't go amiss on Garima and Shashi with the latter being absolutely perplexed at the rosy atmosphere that surrounded her daughter and ASR.

Grima glanced at Shashi,only to find him exchanging a  knowing smile with Akash and it didn't take her long to put two and two together!It brought ahuge respite to her.Howsoever irrational it might sound,but she dreaded her khushi spending her entire life with that Shyam.It seemed that her little,hairbrained erratic daughter.

Grima looked at Arnav and felt a motherly love warming her heart.Almost instinctively she knew for sure that he was capable of giving her daughter love and care that she deserved and required.

''I'll be back in a few!''ASR said.excusing himself from the room.

Garima bit back a smile seeing khushi's floundered expressions.

ASR walked out of the corridor,taking powerful strides.Ever since he had laid his eyes on Surinder,an unsettling sense of de javu nagged him.It was as if the truth danced just out of his reach,eluding him.He looked around and saw what he was searching.

Surinder Mnohar Jha was trying to mollify his furious,envious son.

''You don't have to worry about khushi.You don't know these traditional girls.They are like a flock of sheep,getting herded wherever their family wants them to.She's just an aquisition to make!Already, you've got that old hag Madhumati in your bag and rest of them are putty too!''

''But what about that Shashi Gupta and ASR?''Shyam sneered.

''Ah,you're worried about them are you?We can take that rascal Shashi out anytime we want and as for that Arnav Singh Raizada,you're going to write his downfall.It seems that meddling with us is in the genes of this Mallick family! Bastards!He's his father's son through and through!''Surinder spat in disgust.

Surinder Mnohar Jha had no way of knowing that his last sentence had unleashed potent conflagration of hell that would consume his and his son's pathetic life!